Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop | Diocese of Honolulu

On June 8, 2024, a homily was delivered for the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The speaker reflected on how easy it is to leave Jesus behind, drawing parallels to the story of Mary and Joseph losing track of their twelve-year-old son during a journey to Jerusalem.

The homily emphasized that this was not their first journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem, as it was customary for them to go there during Passover. The caravan included friends and relatives, deepening their faith together. "Jesus must have been quite the gregarious young man," enjoying the company of both old and new friends. It took a whole day for Mary and Joseph to notice his absence, filling Mary's Immaculate Heart with worry and anxiety. They immediately returned to search for him, taking two more days to find him.

The speaker urged honesty in recognizing that people often leave Jesus behind despite their love and desire to be close to him. Distractions from anxieties and pleasures can lead individuals away from Jesus more frequently than they realize.

"Jesus calls us into unity not only with the wonderful friends who are such a blessing to us but with the stranger... even (unbelievably!) with our enemies." The homily highlighted that when people only associate with those who are similar, they may inadvertently leave behind the source of their unity.

The call extends further: "Jesus calls us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and imprisoned." This includes war-weary Ukrainians living in terror or as refugees, homeless individuals in cities across the country, unborn babies depending on others for life, and those imprisoned by ideologies or addictions.

Despite having resources like money, education, faith, and compassion, ignoring these vulnerable groups equates to leaving Jesus behind. Even within religious gatherings focused on music quality or liturgy forms, one might forget that these exist solely "to encounter a living person," Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as Mary and Joseph's hearts were broken upon realizing they had left Jesus behind, so too might individuals feel sorrow when they recognize their own distance from Him. However, through earnest searching and journeying together in faith communities—symbolized by returning home in peace—they can rediscover Jesus in "the Temple of the Lord," opening Scriptures and breaking bread.